What I Am Like Totally Loving Right Now

So. Here we are. The ol’ blog that I’ve neglected for ALMOST THREE MONTHS.

It’s like running into an old friend at the grocery store after moving back to a town you used to live in. You probably should have contacted each other once you moved back, but you didn’t. It’s only slightly awkward, but it’s cool. You’re both busy, and you’re totally ready to dive back into this friendship, even if it’s just going out for a margarita every three months.

It’s been long enough since I’ve written here that I actually forgot how to add pictures to a blog post. So, since people all around me are doing NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo, I’ve decided to at least try to get ONE new blog post up this month. Gotta set some goals, right?

So, in an attempt to jump right back in without staring at my screen for 45 minutes, I decided to try the popular “What I’m Loving” format to jumpstart my brain. I generally am not a huge fan of these posts, but that can be filed into the “It’s not you it’s me” category. Usually these posts are about beauty products and $150 purses… and I would just much rather spend $150 on 15 Target shirts in varying colors. As for beauty products… I get pretty excited when I finally run out of shampoo so I can try a new one. Does that count?

Anyway, life has been a little hectic and I’m feeling stretched, so I figured that focusing on things I am happy with is a good way to avoid excessive snark. So, here are the things I’m like, totally loving right now, you guys.

1. Coffee

As per usual, I love coffee. I seem to be extra loving it right now though, for whatever reason. Probably because October was a very busy month for work, and I was staying up late a lot. Also probably because it’s getting cooler out there, and I don’t care how trendy it is right now to make fun of chicks loving fall (flip-flop lovers watch out; someone will tweet about your shorts and iced white mochas and the internet will think it’s HILARIOUS one of these days so don’t get too smug), but dudefriends, I LOVE FALL. So, onto my next topic:

2. Fall

We’ve got this ravine/prairie chunk right outside of our house, and in the summertime, jackrabbits frolic about on it, fully unaware that our building owner will soon be razing it for more poorly-constructed and vomitously expensive townhomes. In the summer, the rabbits are great and it’s awesome to see storms roll in… but in the fall? It’s quiet and windy and I’m pretty sure that if Heathcliffe magically found himself dropped off in our time period/exact location, he’d head straight to that grassy stretch to brood. Oh, would he brood. And then I’d bring him a lovely scarf and a mug of coffee. He would give me a weird look. I would shrug mysteriously and walk back to my house with wind in my hair and a call in the branches of the trees saying, “Don’t stop brooding on account of me; I just thought you’d like a scarf.”

3. Yes Please by Amy Poehler

I’ve been listening to Yes Please on audio book, and it has been fantastic. Amy reads it herself, along with celebrities like Patrick Stewart and Kathleen Turner, and it’s funny and sad and feminist and fascinating. Also, I’m listening to it for free via an app from my public library. It’s firing me up to be more productive and creative, and is probably the reason I’m writing a blog post right now. I’m definitely going to have to go back and listen to Bossypants by Tina Fey, because the audiobook experience when read by the author is super-fun.

4. Doctor Who Podcasts: Verity, Radio Free Skaro, Lazy Doctor Who

I’ve had a hard time keeping up with podcasts in the past, and I’ve finally realized that it’s because I was listening to what I thought I should be listening to. I thought I should be listening to This American Life and The Moth (which are both genuinely AWESOME podcasts), but I just couldn’t stick with it. This is because I was hoping that podcast time would be a good mental break… but I was trying to take a break by listening to really real stuff. And when I need a break, I need a break. Luckily, the current season of Doctor Who has been OH MY GOSH SO SO GOOD, and prompted me to start listening to these podcasts. Verity is a show of six rotating ladies discussing recent episodes, and Radio Free Skaro is three dudes doing the same. Lazy Doctor Who consists of Stephen (from RFS) and Erika (from Verity), the most adorable damned married couple I have ever listened to on a regular basis, watching all of the episodes together, starting with the very first one aired in 1963. These are podcasts about something that I love, made by smart, enthusiastic people. Winners all around in my book.

5. These Things Matter

This is a podcast put on by a cool old friend (well, kind of; he went to my school for one year in junior high, but managed to escape, I thought he was cool from afar) named Kevin and a kickass lady named Taylor, who are comics in Denver. They operate on the idea that the pop culture we love is important, and is worthy of (hilarious) discussion. I’ve said this a lot, but listening to it is just like sitting in a college dorm room talking about stuff you like with people you like. A wonderful escape full of smart and funny discussion. I even decided to listen to their recent episode about the band Sublime (which. I. HATE.), and ended up loving every minute of it. Check it out.

6. Thermal Shirts, and Crocheted Stuff. So, still, basically Fall.

Target and Old Navy both are going nuts with thermal shirts. You know, the waffley kind that make you feel like you’re hip regardless of how many days it’s been since you’ve had a shower? I love them. And they have been on sale. See above statement about buying a bunch of the same shirt in varying colors. Also, I got some lovely goodies in the mail from the even lovelier Katillia at Momma Sweet Pea Crochet. Be looking for a giveaway in the coming weeks, ya crazy kids!

7. Tomato Timer

I’m planning a post (gasp ANOTHER?) about productivity on this blog pretty soon, but I still want to throw this in here. I’ve recently stumbled upon the “Pomodoro Technique” for creativity, and it has been a GAME CHANGER. Its simplicity is deceptive. You basically work in hard sprints of 25 minutes, focusing on one task, then take a short 5 minute break before jumping in for another 25. (You can try this tomato timer here, but you can also just use the stopwatch on your phone) After a few of these periods of time, you do a longer break, between 15-30 minutes. I am amazed at how much work I can get done in 25 minutes when there’s a guaranteed 5 minute break ahead of me, and when I’m purposefully allowing myself to only focus on ONE THING. “So far, November’s looking up in the productivity department,” she said, nonchalantly, as she was secretly scrambling around the room knocking on any piece of wood available.

So. What about you? What are you, like, totally loving right now, friends?